Friday, February 27, 2015

Browser Trouble

I'm writing this post, because I really hope someone who has had the same issues comments back to me. Maybe not with an answer or a solution, but merely to commiserate!

Okay, let me start with the fact that I use my computer in a certain way, mostly because I'm self-taught, and have been doing this for 25 years. I started with MS-DOS 2.something, up to Windows 3.0, through Windows 8.1 (not to mention OS-X in various versions). I'm a relatively tech-savvy guy, though I've sort of tromped my own path, and continue to. One thing I use, I get criticized for: I still use AOL. I know, I know, people hate it. I hate it too, but I like it for certain things. It's a legacy "thing" for me, that became part of my work habits, and I've seen no reason to expunge it--or my 20+ year email address--when I still have use for it.

So, please, no, "Why would anyone still use that?" okay? I get that from my brother. Besides, the fact of the matter is, there is no browser on any platform that doesn't have issues. There is none that doesn't eventually irritate me beyond measure at some point. They've all got their quirks, strengths and weaknesses. So, I tend to use them in tandem, and use different ones for different things.

To be fair, it doesn't look like this anymore.

For instance, I toggle between AOL and Internet Explorer 11 on my main monitor, and Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome on my secondary monitor. If they are freshly opened (and for a while thereafter), this is a great setup, and works very well for me, and for how I work. Ultimately, however, cracks start to show. Firefox has the unnerving tendency to lose its title bar utterly, and for other features to sort of fade away, and randomly crashes (very apologetically). Internet Explorer loses its tab names, has many issues with "not responding" and "long-running scripts," and always foists responsibility off of itself, and onto whatever web page(s) you're visiting. Chrome tends to follow Firefox with its goofy error messages, but hey, at least will point the finger at itself, where IE never does. All are pretty lousy at offering help when something goes wrong, unless you are a real nuts-and-bolts techie, instead of a bumbler like me.

But here is my number one irritation, so ***eyes down here*** if you care to help me with this question:

Every. Damned. Time. And no, it was NOT incorrect.

Why is it almost impossible to log on to anything from Internet Explorer? And why is it impossible to find help, an answer, or even any evidence that it's a problem? Here's what I mean. From IE11, I may wish to comment on a story at Salon or Slate or another national site. Or maybe it's even a local or regional newspaper. If I can get remember whatever arcane password and username system they're using (really, web developers, you could do better with some helpful hints*), I'll find that logging in is futile. Salon for example. I'd recently set up a new user name and password, because I kept getting shut out. I know what it is. But from IE, it failed. No problem, right? They've got helpful logins for Google+, Twitter and Facebook. I have all of those! Nope. Useless. Utterly and completely useless. Nothing gets me in, it always, always fails.

Sometimes AOL will get me in, sometimes not. Usually Firefox or Chrome will do it, so I'll do a few copies and pastes (if my comment didn't evaporate in the mean time), and get in. By then though, usually, I'm well past caring about whatever issue I wanted to comment on in the first place. But beyond this issue--which I can replicate on other computers by the way, and isn't even unheard of using Safari on a Mac--how am I the only person this seemingly happens to? I can find nothing out in the cyber-universe about it.

Irritating. But so very usual for the problems I've run into over the years. I especially detest the "helpful" answers you sometimes get on forums to these kinds of questions: "Well, what version of xx are you using when this happens? What site were you trying to go to? How much RAM do you have? Why would you be trying to. . ." AAARRRRGGGHHHHH!!! Whenever you start getting those sorts of "answering a question with a question" types of responses, you know they're fishing. They don't know the answer, and possibly don't understand the question. Anyone with me?